Angel Di Maria Receives Four-Match Ban!
Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria has been given a four-match for spitting during this month’s very heated game between French Ligue champions, PSG and fierce revivals Marseille, which saw five players red-carded and as well as claims from Neymar (who got sent off too) of racial abuse.
Di Maria’s suspension meted out by Ligue 1’s disciplinary commission was for spitting at Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez and takes effect from September 29.
This means the Argentine can play against Reims on Sunday and will return to action on the weekend of November 8 after serving his bans.
Di Maria now joins three of his teammates already serving match bans.
Brazilian star and the world’s most expensive player, Neymar has earlier been served a two-match ban last week for that incident in the September 13 fixture at the Parc des Princes which Marseille won with a lone goal.
Also last week PSG defender Layvin Kurzawa incurred a six-match ban for kicking out at Marseille left-back Jordan Amavi, who was hit with a suspension of three games after he too was dismissed.
And Leandro Paredes was banned for two games after he was sent off for a clash with fellow Argentine Dario Benedetto, who was also red-carded and suspended.
The French league’s disicplinary commission is also investigating accusations that Neymar made racist remarks towards Marseille’s Japanese right-back Hiroki Sakai and made a homophobic slur against Gonzalez.
Any player found guilty of racist or discriminatory abuse risks a ban of up to 10 matches.
The French Ligue 1 truly has no room for misconduct. What do you make of these match bans? Are they too strict or just appropriate?
